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[SaraC2773]

Hi guys,

Having a complete meltdown here.

So I have had the following pattern towards menopause:

11 months without a period,  then a very light one
10 months wihtout a period then a very light one

Then after that I had a further 3 periods,  all three months apart,  all very very light with the final one being a day in length but in terms of symptoms it felt iike the period from hell,  I had a week of feeling crampy,  achey,  fatigued and felt like it was a really heavy period but it literally lasted a day.

So that was last June and nothing since until today,  gone to the toilet to find I'm very lightly spotting,  pinkish brown in colour so I'm in complete meltdown as know I need to ring the GP and get referred.

Thing is I knew this was going to happen,  it's so weird,  I think because I've got so close on 2 previous occasions I felt like even when it got to the year I wasn't done.

I turned 50 in March and spoke to the GP in April who said the lead up to menopause can be very similar to what I've gone through but any bleeding from June onwards would need invetigating and here we are at 13 months.

If anyone has any good stories or can give any reassurance I'd be grateful as I'm currently thinking the worst.

Thanks  Sara

[CLKD]

I wouldn't bother contacting the GP/Nuarse Practitioner with this history, I would take it as 'within normal limits' for me.   Nature can throw in a curved ball.  Although we are told to be 12 months without a bleed to consider that we are in menopause we may find that occasionally the ovaries continue to pump out enough hormone to cause a ' show'. 

How do you feel other than being worried?  U could contact your Nurse Practitioner for advice and if necessary follow up with a scan to put your mind at rest, it would give you a base line. 

[SaraC2773]

Thanks CLKD, 

I have had huge gaps between periods and that somewhat worried me but GP said it's all within normal limits. 

I did also have the very heavy every two week periods as well but that was in my early forties and the last few years,  it's felt like I've barely had a period.

I will check in with the GP and see what they say but hoping it's just my unusual pattern continuing. 

Or I have been using oestrogen cream over the last few weeks as I had a problem with VA which they prescribed vagifem for but it was giving me thrush.  I used the cream which helped enormously and then stopped as things seemed to have improved but the last few weeks I've felt dry and irritated so starting using again.

Having said that,  I don't think it would be enough to trigger a bleed.

[meno-mel]

It sounds like it's normal for you even though it falls outside what is normally normal if you get my meaning.

Certainly get it checked. Similar happened to me last year, after 14 months period free, I had a period, then three months later another and one every single month since then! The bleeding has been quite heavy at times and I honestly thought I was done and dusted with periods two years ago.

I got put on the waiting list last October for post meno bleeding or abnormal bleeding, my scan is next month, unless the strikes affect it of course. My son works in the NHS and is on strike right now!

It doesn't sound like you are on HRT, so maybe it could be the small amount in the local oestrogen is upsetting the balance?

[CLKD]

Was it thrush or VA itching high up?  That happened to me following each bleed: heavy periods for up to 10 days, then a break of 1/2 days followed by intense itching and brown discharge. 

Initially VA treatments may cause irritation as the skin inside is thin and dry.  Perhaps don't put the product too far in at first, then as the vagina becomes softer push further inside.  Alternate nights if necessary until the itchiness improves.  Then every night for at least 2 weeks.  It's a bit Trial and Error!

Let us know.

[SaraC2773]

Thank you for the replies.

It's weird as I've only started using the Ovestin over the last few weeks so maybe it is that?

With my VA I find it makes me feel like I need to keep peeing and I just feel uncomfortable but it's more outside and just inside which is another reason for swapping to Ovestin from Vagifem as he Vagifem was just making me itch like crazy and it wasn't completely relieving the symptoms.

I'll let you kow how I get on with the GP.

[CLKD]

It can be the coating or the filllers rather than the active ingredient in some products.

[SaraC2773]

Hi all,

Just wanted to give an update on the spotting.

I spoke to the GP and he wasn't in the least bit concerned,  In fact he had a bit of a giggle and said " oh crikey you didn't even get to 13 months without a bleed.

He said they start to worry after 2 years without a period (which is odd as everywhere I read said one year) although a friend of mine going through the menopause said she'd been told 2 years as well?

Anyway,  he said he thinks it's more likely to be the ovestin as I'd not used it for a while and it can cause a bit of light spotting when you start or resume using it but to contact them if it gets heavier/doesn't stop or I start experiencing any pain.

Touch wood it hasn't got any heavier and seems to have more of less stopped. 

Thanks for the advice as always and I'll keep you updated if anything changes!

[CLKD]

That's good.  I think 1-2 years is as individual as we are  though 1 year means that we are unlikely to forget that an unexpected bleed needs investigation.

I've not had any spotting with ovestin 

[meno-mel]

They say you're in menopause after one year period free after age 50, or it's two years if you're under 50.

I think two years is a better measure, because this age thing is very individual and personally it seems stupid to use age for the actual diagnosis of menopause other than checking "are you between 45 and 55?"

I have had over a year period free, after age 50, but still returned to being peri last year because conti gave me the hormones I was missing and my cycle restarted more regular than it had been in years. Obviously this cycle wasn't following the HRT regimen as that had no variations in it whatsoever, being conti. It was my own 53 year old body which was choosing to bleed at monthly intervals, so after a year they switched me to sequi. My body still ignores the progesterone finishing date and bleeds either before or after then on a 24-34 day cycle as it sees fit.

I'll be 54 soon, then I might be allowed tibolone. That is my goal!

[SaraC2773]

Thank you for the replies.

This site does reassure me. 

I turned 50 in March so only just over 50 and I guesss they would count 9 months of that as being under!